After Computer-Based Examinations for the General Studies Programme Courses

First Semester, 2015/2016 Session: Report and Explanations

Introduction

The School of General Studies occupies a central position in the service of this University since all students admitted into the University through UTME and Direct Entry take at least two GSP courses. This year, we have more than 9,000 students in the Nsukka and Enugu Campuses of our University admitted as first year or Direct Entry students. The administration of the School of General Studies, aware of the important position of the School of General Studies in helping to achieve the vision of this University administration, resolved to take the lead in maximizing the ICT advantages by using the Computer-Based Examination for all GSP courses.

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Why CBE in the School of General Studies?

Using Computer-Based Examination (CBE) for all GSP courses offers compulsory opportunity to the use of computers by all students taking GSP courses, irrespective of their dispositions, to the use of computers. Thus, the administration of the School of General Studies was convinced that the use of computers in writing GSP exams will definitely:

  1. Help place our students at par with other students in several countries of the world in line with international best practices;
  2. Help in sustaining the global visibility of our University through our exploiting ICT maximally since Computer-Based Examinations will also enhance our students’ abilities to access their results online. Other related multiplier effects of the CBE in the evaluation of the GSP courses will include: quicker compilation of results by the Examinations Unit of the University, faster preparation of Transcripts, and so on;
  3. Reduce the enormous workload of a General Studies staff marking scripts and collating results of about 500 students. This will help to re-direct manpower to research, more effective teaching and community development;
  4. Eliminate myriad of examination-related problems such as missing scripts and missing results, wrong grades, sorting, and in some cases, the integrity of our results;

 

Assessing the first Computer-Based Examinations in the School of General Studies, UNN

The School of General Studies has successfully conducted the First Computer-Based Examination in all her courses for the more than 12,000 students (first year, second year, and some carry-over and external candidates) that offered the GSP courses in the First Semester of the 2015/2016 session. With the support of the University administration, there is no going back!

 

 

 

Notes and Responses to Questions

We must quickly note that in considering the option of making all our examinations for the GSP courses to be computer-based, we were cautious about how to conduct our examinations without compromising quality of teaching and learning in the School of General Studies. Our robust continuous assessment scores are based on students’ attendance, take-home assignments, and seminar presentations and presentations by our students. For instance, in the Use of English, the take-home assignments are meant to provide opportunities for the students to be taught and to learn writing and research skills, while the oral seminar presentations are meant to provide opportunities for them to develop their listening and speaking (phonetics and phonology) skills. With provisions like this and more, there is no need for the anxiety inherent in such questions as: “Having administered all your examination questions as Computer-Based and objectives, are you not running the risk of denying your students the opportunities of testing the extent they have acquired the writing skill which is best tested during essay-oriented examinations?”

 

Acknowledgements

  • We very sincerely thank the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Professor Benjamin Ozumba for the huge support he gave us once we brought the idea of the CBE to his table on December 15, 2015.
  • We thank the Deputy Vice Chancellors during whose tenure the CBE was conducted, particularly the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration (Professor E. Igbokwe) and the Deputy Vice Chancellor in UNEC (Professor S. Uchegbu). The support that each of them gave to us was exceptional.
  • We thank the Director of the ICT Unit of the University, Dr Olisa Okeke, and his ICT team. We thank particularly Chukwuma Mgboji, Ifeanyi Anene, Chidubem Obaregwu, Chinemerem Igbokwe, Victor, Donwa, Ayobami Odubiyi, Ugochukwu Onyechi, Kanu Obineche, Chinedu Edewor, Sunday Ugwu, Obasi Ukoha, Chike Ebido, Ndubuisi Ugwuagbo, and Gloria Ezema – their support was beyond measure and stretched beyond office hours. We also thank the staff of the Tenece Company that anchored the examinations, particularly Chisom Onu, Chima Ofore, and Ijeoma Oloto
  • We thank the Examinations Unit of the Registry Department (headed by Mrs Empress Okoro), the Security Department whose personnel helped us maintain order, the non-teaching staff of the University Library, UNGEL staff, and the LionFM.